Skink and Gecko

Ge Jie  蛤蚧 (TCM, Gecko)
Rtsangs pa རྩངས་པ  (Tibetan)
Picture Skink
Gart der Gesundheit, Cuba, 1485

Picture Picture
Official Skink
Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563

 Official Skink
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578
Picture Picture
Lacerta, Lizard
Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563

 Type of ‘Skink’ found on the banks of the Nile
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578
Picture Bulk dried Ge Jie at the Chengdu Medicine Market (Adam, 2016)
Picture Picture Above: Eutropis carinata
(Calcutta Unani Medicine College, Adam, 2019)

Left: Gecko
Chengdu Medicine Market, 2010 (Adam)
Zoological name:
A number of different Lizard species have been used:
  1. Skink: Scincus officinalis; (West)
  2. Lacerta scincus; L. agilis and Ophiomorus spp. is the Sand Lizard (West, Unani)
  3. Eutropis carinata (syn. Mabuya carinata) (Unani)
  4. Gecko: Gekko gekko, G. verticillatus, G. chinensis (TCM)
  5. Spiny‐tailed Lizard Saara hardwickii (Middle East)

Parts used:


Whole dried Gecko. In the western tradition, only the loins and tail of the Skink were used.

Temperature & Taste:


Neutral/Warm. Salty
Unani texts state the Skink is Hot, Moist and Heavy when fresh, but when dried and salted, it is light, hot and dry.

Classification:


3I. APHRODISIACS
3J. INCREASE SEMEN
TCM:
N. Tonics

Uses:


SKINK:
1. Warms the Kidneys, Strengthens the Yang:
-Aphrodisiac; ‘Rekindle the Fire of Love when exhausted by the frosts of Age or at the expense of debauchery’.
-‘The part of it which lies about the Kidneys, being drank to the quantities of a drachm in wine, is a great provocation to Lust’ (Dioscordies);
-‘Its use will make a lover the most excellent one, even if he be old’. (Mahavedaveda, Unani)

2. Strengthen Lungs, Stops Cough:
-Chronic Cough and Wheezing from Kidney and Lung weakness with low libido, debility, premature Ejaculation etc. (Unani: Indusyunic)

3. Resists Poison:
-‘A Great Antidote’; used in Theriac and Mithridate
-restorative in chronic and debilitating disease including Elephantiasis, Leprosy and other cutaneous diseases;
-Tumors and cancerous conditions, tumors
–Pliny said they were specific for wounds from Poison arrows (probably Aconite).


GECKO: (Ge Jie)
1. Strengthens the Lung, Stops Cough:
-Asthma, chronic cough, consumption, dyspnoea, hemoptysis.
-chronic Lung diseases with Kidney deficiency
-‘the berst drug for relieving Asthma and for stopping Coughing’. (He Da Ying, TCM)

2. Strengthens and Warms the Kidneys:
-diuretic, for bladder stones and gravel.
-Impotence, and as an Aphrodisiac; strengthen the male sex drive and sex performance.
-traditionally used for Diabetes-like disorders
-help fractures heal.
-nourishes Essence (Jing) and Blood. (Li Shi Zhen)


Dose:


Note: Lentils were said to mitigate its action
Decoction: 3–6 grams
Powder or Pills: 500mg–2 grams.
May be infused in alcohol with other tonic medicines.
In Unani, sometimes the ash is used in doses of 125mg.

Correctives:


1. Ginger
2. Oxymel (Unani)

Substitutes:


1. Orchis (Satyrion)
2. Testicles
3. Various other Lizard species have been used as a substitutes.
4. ‘It has similar therapeutic properties to Ginseng’ (Li Shi Zhen). Therefore Ginseng to be a suitable vegetable substitute.

Comment:


Skink and Gecko are used similarly, both warming Kidney Yang and being used classically for Impotence and as an Aphrodisiac.
Skink was also added to Antidotes; supporting the Yang Qi mobilises the bodies defense against disease. Gecko is also used in TCM for chronic Lung diseases including chronic Cough and Asthma. In these cases, it is used where Kidney function is weak and is not supporting Lung function. There is Lung weakness along with signs of kidney weakness such as lumbago and nocturnal urination.

Main Combinations:


SKINK:
1. Impotence and as an Aphrodisiac:
i. Skink with Orchis root, Pine kernel, Rocket seed, Aniseed
ii. Skink with Cinnamon, Ginger, Pepper, Cress seed, Rocket seed, Onion seed (Roscellus)
iii. Skink with Pistachio, Pine kernels, Orchis, Cinnamon, Cabbage seed
iv. Skink with Orchis, Elecampane, Cinnamon
v. Skink with Pine nuts, Hazelnut, Sweet Almond, Walnut, Pistachio, Sesame, Linseed, Orchis, Ginger, Sea Holly root, Asparagus root, Nettle seed (as in Antidote for Cold Lumbar, for Venery, and Defect of Semen of Nicholas)
2. Cold and Weak Kidneys, Skink with Elecampane, Cinnamon, Rocket seed

GECKO:
1. Chronic Cough, Asthma and Wheezing from Lung and Kidney deficiency:
i. Gecko with Ginseng and Walnut
ii. Gecko with Ginseng, Almond kernel, Cinnamon, Walnut, Licorice
iii. Take a pair of dried Gecko, cut into pieces, coat with Wine and Honey then stir fry, dry and powder. Add half ounce of Ginseng powder. Blend this powder into 4 ounces of melted Beeswax and make 6 cakes, To use, make a rice porridge of glutinous rice, add one of the cakes and stir until dissolved. Sip the porridge. (Pu Ji Fang, TCM)
iv. Gecko with with Ginseng, Poria Fu Ling, Mulberry root bark (Sang Bai Pi), Almond kernel (Xing Ren), Licorice
2. Lung abscess with chronic Cough, Gecko, Donkey-hide Gelatin (E Jiao), Deer Horn Gelatin (Lu Jiao Jiao), Rhino horn (Xi Jiao, substitute Water Buffalo Horn extract), Antelope horn (Ling Yang Jiao, substitute Goat horn), equal parts, powdered and decocted to be taken.
3. Kidney deficiency with Impotence:
i. Gecko, Ginseng, Cistanche Rou Cong Rong
ii. Gecko, Deer Pizzle, Velvet Deer Horn, Bull Testicles, Cordyceps, Ginseng, Lycium Gou Qi Zi

Major Formulas:


Mithridate and Theriac
Electuary of Orchid (Diasatyrion) (Nicholas)
Electuary of Steel (Unani)
Antidote for Cold Kidneys and to Excite Libido (Nicholas)
Antidote for Cold Lumbar, for Venery, and Defect of Semen (Nicholas)
Confection for Coitus (Galen)
Confection to Increase Seed of Augusta
Pills of Nishat (Unani)
Ren Shen Ge Jie San
Shen Ge San

1. Electuarium ad Venerem (Electuary to Promote Venery) (Avicenna)
  Skink                       1 ½ oz.
  Seeds of Napi
    Bauciae
    Alleft
    Onion
    Nettle
    Rocket                   1 oz.
  Black Pepper 
  White Pepper
  Long Pepper           5 drams
  Cepae muris assae ½ oz.
  Pine nut                    2 ½ oz.
  Pyrethrum                ½ oz.
  Ash tree keys           6 drams
  Sparrow brains        ½ oz.
  Rooster testicles     1 oz.
Form an electuary with butter and honey.
Dose: ½ dram in sweet wine after eating.

2. Electuary Venerem Excitans
  Asparagus seed
  Satyrion                     1 oz.
  Bedeguar
  Red Behen 
  White Behen
  Ginger                       3 drams
  Rocket seed
  Carrot seed
  Onion seed
  Nettle seed              2 drams
  Siler montane seed
  Skink middle            ½ oz.
  Cardamon                3 drams
  Ash tree keys           1 dram
  Sugar                        qs
Mix with Milk, or Mulsa (Honey and Wine).

Cautions:


1. Not for acute Cough, or Cough from excess Heat. (TCM)

Main Preparations Used:

Research


1. The pharmacological studies of gecko.
2. [The processing of Gekko gecko and the pharmacological action of its different parts].
3. [Antitumor effects of fresh gecko hydrolysate on H22 transplanted tumor in mice].
4. [Study on the antitumor effects and synergism and attenuation effects of gecko alcohol extract].